Viewing Earl’s progress

Check out Stormpulse.com to see a great map featuring Hurricane Earl, but with the ability to view other storms as well. The maps are pulling in lots of data from many reputable sources (National Hurricane Center, NASA, NOAA, and others) to provide layered maps of weather patterns and major storms in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as well as the contiguous 48 states (see top menu bar on the site to switch maps). On the Atlantic map particularly, be sure to click the “ON” buttons for Forecast Models and Clouds in the box in the upper right of the map to enhance the view of Hurricane Earl with additional layers.

Take the Library Disaster Readiness Test

On a sheet of paper, give yourself a tick mark for each time you answer Yes to one the 12 elements of a library at a state of disaster readiness listed below. Add up your score. Most libraries will score between 0 and 5. It is our goal to provide tools and training to create a disaster ready culture in libraries so that every library in the United States scores 10 or above.

Do you want a better score? Contact me, Dan Wilson, Coordinator for the NN/LM Emergency Preparedness & Response Initiative, at 434-924-0193 or danwilson@virginia.edu.

1. We are committed to purchasing core print materials that may be needed by the community if power is down for an extended time or the Internet is compromised.
2. Our core online resources are housed on servers with emergency backup power.
3. We have a response station that includes items such as flashlights, first aid kit, bullhorn, plastic, and a battery operated radio.
4. We practice situation awareness reporting (What, When, and Where) before, during, and after any kind of service disruption.
5. We practice 72-hour home preparedness.
6. We regularly drill our staff on how to respond to unplanned incidents, such as tornadoes, shooter, and HAZMAT incidents, and we perform at least one evacuation drill per year.
7. We conduct at least two tabletop exercises per year. (One for planned and one for unplanned events.)
8. We conduct after-action reviews within 14 days of a service disruption.
9. We have a one-page service continuity plan that is updated at least twice per year.
10. We have a Mutual Aid Agreement with other libraries to assist us in the delivery of core services if ours are compromised.
11. We have a partnership (contract not required) with a commercial salvage and recovery company (e.g., Belfor, BMS, Munters) or a local preservationist for recovery of valuable and hard to replace materials.
12. We have worked with local law enforcement to determine best practices for sheltering-in-place and for responding to unplanned emergency situations.